


From A Certain Child's Point of View: The Child

by Lailuva



Series: From The Child's Point of View [2]
Category: The Mandalorian (TV)
Genre: Alternate POV, Baby Yoda POV, Canon-Typical Violence, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, s1e2
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-05
Updated: 2020-01-18
Packaged: 2021-02-27 06:01:24
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 6,948
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22132198
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lailuva/pseuds/Lailuva
Summary: Things are sure getting exciting now that he has a new watcher, a person in a shiny silver helmet.Part of a series of The Mandalorian from Baby Yoda's POV.
Relationships: Baby Yoda & The Mandalorian (The Mandalorian TV)
Series: From The Child's Point of View [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1592260
Comments: 193
Kudos: 796





	1. The Cut

He didn’t usually get to go outside. It wasn’t allowed, and he got in trouble for it. If Yarull caught him, he yelled. If one of the others did, they yelled too, and once the Big Boss of them had kicked him. If he had to go to a different building, Yarull closed the pod and he had to do quiet time until they were inside again.

Helmet is different. He’d waited for Helmet to say it was quiet time and close the pod, but he left it open. They walked through the buildings and headed out into the desert.  _ Aren’t you going to close it? _ he’d tried to ask, but Helmet only looked back briefly before he kept walking.

He wanted to play the finger game again, but maybe he had to wait until after next quiet time.

At first he watches Helmet. He doesn’t talk, but no one ever really talked to him except Yarull, and then it was only to tell him quiet time or food time, so he doesn’t mind. The sun makes the silver helmet shine like one of the rocks Yarull had given him. One of the others had taken it yesterday and not given it back, even when he’d cried for it. He’d had to go to quiet time in the pod for that. Maybe Helmet will let him touch the shiny helmet later? But he doesn’t cry. He doesn’t want quiet time. Not when there’s so much to see!

There’s lots more than just the silver helmet. Everywhere around him is new and different! There are rocks all over the place, more than he could pick up in his hands. Red and brown and black and yellow, and all of them are on more rocks that are red and black and yellow, and all of those are on dirt that is brown and yellow and red. He leans over the edge of the pod to see. Helmet turns around, and he quickly sits back down and clutches his blanket. Yarull said no looking out of the pod, and would push him back in, or smack his head.

Helmet doesn’t push or hit, though. He turns around and keeps walking. The sun makes his helmet gleam.

The shiny isn’t as distracting as everything else, though, not now. He spots movement and sees a little lizard dart across the sand. It makes his middle growl. Usually Yarull gives him a food treat. He still liked the finger game, though. Yarull didn’t play finger games with him.

They keep going, and there’s still more new things. It smells different out here than it did in the buildings, but he likes it. The air isn’t as hot and sticky and still, and the wind occasionally blows in his face, making him blink. And of course there’s more and more rocks, more sand, more curious lizards darting past.

They go into more rocks, big ones. He watches the lizards dart in and out, staring at him. He stares back. Yarull only gave him lizards that didn’t move. These look like fun. If he was on the ground he could chase them, but he knows he’s supposed to stay in the pod.

Helmet doesn’t pay any attention to the lizards. Helmet's boots splat in the mud. He watches Helmet. His armor has lots of colors, like the rocks and dirt, though only one piece is as shiny and pretty as the helmet.

He returns his attention to the lizards.  _ Food? _ he asks, and after a moment Helmet slows down, then stops. The lizards run away. He can sense Helmet is uneasy, like Yarull and the others were all the time, but especially before things started booming. Helmet looks around. Something clicks in his hand.

There’s a roar and someone jumps down on Helmet! He squeaks in surprise but then stops; Yarull will be mad if he’s loud. Helmet moves his hand and the pod goes flying back. He falls over and he can’t help but squeak now!

There’s lots of loud noises now and he struggles to sit up. His pod is never open for the noises and he wants to see! By the time he sits up he can see two, no three, people attacking Helmet, trying to hit him with big long sticks. Helmet takes one and hits back but then pulls his big stick-blaster off his back to hit with. Bright sparks jump at the one trying to hit Helmet. Another one runs past Helmet, right to him. He stares; this person is the same color as Yarull but his face is a different shape. He has a big stick too, and he lifts it over his head.

There’s a loud noise and suddenly there’s a bright flash and a shower of pretty gold sparks, and the person disappears!  _ Gone? _ he asks, sensing it, and he looks down and sees some scraps of clothing, but the person is nowhere to be seen. Helmet is holding his big stick-blaster. It must make people disappear-Gone. He’s never seen anything like that before, but he likes it.

Something is beeping nearby. Helmet keeps staring at him, and he’s not sure why. Helmet isn’t going to make him disappear-Gone, is he? He can sense that Helmet is mad…

But Helmet only sighs, and walks over to the beeping. He stomps on it and the beeping stops. He motions his hand, and the pod returns to his side as he puts his stick-blaster back on his back.

Helmet keeps walking, and he floats beside him in his pod.

-

They don’t stop until the sun goes away, and the helmet doesn’t shine anymore. Helmet makes the pod stop and stay but doesn’t close it, so he keeps watching as the sky turns pretty colors and Helmet takes out a little lamp. He vaguely remembers touching one like it once; it hurt his fingers.

He watches Helmet put down his things and sit by the lamp. He removes one of his metal pieces and sets it down before taking out something that smells like the food Yarull and the other big ones would eat, and some tool he doesn’t recognize. Helmet points the tool at his arm and sparks light up against him, and he can sense that it hurts - Helmet is hurting! But he does it again to himself, grunting, and in the dim light he can see a cut and blood on Helmet’s arm.

Helmet is hurt. But why is he hurting himself more? He can feel that it hurts, that it makes Helmet sad. He doesn’t like it.

Helmet shouldn’t have to be hurting. He knows how to fix that.

He climbs out of the pod, even though he knows he’s not supposed to. But Helmet left it open, so maybe getting out is okay? He lands lightly - he  _ always _ lands lightly - and walks over to Helmet, who is breathing loudly and still hurting his arm.

He reaches out to Helmet’s arm. He vaguely remembers he’s done it before, that he  _ knows _ how to fix it. He focuses. He wants to make the pain go away. He doesn’t want Helmet to hurt.

But Helmet catches his hands and puts them down, then picks him up and puts him back in the pod. He sits back down and picks up his metal piece, and starts to make sparks on that instead.

Helmet’s arm still hurts though. He can sense it, and he can sense that Helmet doesn’t like it. He doesn’t like that Helmet is hurt either, so he gets out again. Helmet didn’t yell or pull his ears, so it must be okay to get out. He walks back over.  _ It’s okay, _ he tells Helmet.

“Huh?” says Helmet.

_ I’ll fix it, _ he says, and reaches out his hand again.

But Helmet picks him up again, and lays him down in the pod.  _ Why not? _ he asks Helmet, but Helmet only sighs and after a moment, closes the lid.

He whines at the closed pod but Helmet doesn’t open it again. He didn’t say quiet time, but maybe Helmet just doesn’t want him getting out. That must still be a rule with Helmet.

He can sense that Helmet is still outside. He’s not leaving like Yarull usually does when the pod is closed. And he left the pod open before. Maybe later he’ll open it again? If he’s good, maybe he’ll get a treat? Maybe a fun new treat, like the finger game.

With the pod closed he can’t see anything new and interesting, and he is tired from the long day. It doesn’t take him long to fall asleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tune in next time for our protagonist having the time of his life while his new caretaker is having the Worst. Day. Ever.


	2. The Buildings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chasing big buildings, shiny pretty sparkles, mean people in brown robes. His new caretaker may be mad, but he's having the best day ever.

He wakes up to bright sunlight, so bright he can’t see. He squawks in protest and blinks his eyes, but after a moment he can see Helmet standing over him. The bright light makes his helmet shinier and prettier than it was yesterday.

He sits up and reaches out. He’s supposed to get a treat after quiet time, and he had been quiet. Helmet offers him a finger again and he grabs it, but then sees the arm that is still hurt. He reaches out, but Helmet takes the finger away and starts walking. He whines over no treat, but Helmet keeps walking, and in his pod he has no choice but to follow.

The treat is quickly forgotten, though, as Helmet leaves the pod open and there’s more to see. More rocks and dirt and sand in all the colors. More sky, changing colors as the bright sun keeps rising. More mud that makes squelchy sounds under Helmet’s boots, and more rock and sand that clink-crumble with every step. More the same. It’s still interesting, but it’s starting to lose its appeal. He wishes the lizards would come back.

But they walk up a rise of brown-red rock and then he sees something completely new! There’s a big building up ahead, dark brown and metal on huge wheels. It’s much bigger than the other building, one silver and shiny like Helmet’s helmet. Little brown-robed people scurry around both buildings.

Helmet is  _ mad _ as soon as he sees the buildings. He pulls out his stick-blaster, kneeling down on the rock, but Helmet is less interesting than the buildings and the people right now. He sits up as much as he can in the pod, trying to see everything at once - all the people running around, carrying black and silver parts. It looks like they’re taking them from the shiny silver building, and bringing it to the big brown one.

Suddenly there is a loud noise and one of the people explodes into gold sparkles! He looks over and Helmet is putting a cylinder into the stick-blaster. It fires again and when he looks back another person turns into pretty sparkles and is Gone.

The people are all running and yelling now, although he doesn’t understand what they’re saying. He looks over to see Helmet putting another silver cylinder into the stick-blaster. Helmet points it at the people, finally landing on one that is firing a blaster of its own at them. Quickly he sits up to see the person, and then - sparkles again!

All the people have run onto the big brown building and it starts to move away from the shiny silver building. Helmet is still mad, very mad. He watches Helmet get up and start to run after the big building.  _ Wait for me! _ he calls, but the pod is already following. He wants to see more sparkles!

Helmet is fast but the building is faster. Suddenly Helmet stops, crouching down and aiming his stick-blaster again. He watches, wondering how the stick-blaster makes sparkles, and when the noise comes barely turns around in time to see shiny gold sparkles on the big building. The building doesn’t slow down, and Helmet sighs, then runs again faster than ever.

_ Go, Helmet, go! _ he cheers as his pod races along behind Helmet. He didn’t know the pod could go this fast! Yarull never ran after big buildings like this. Helmet is the most fun watcher he’s ever had!

Helmet runs so fast he jumps and catches the building, but it still doesn’t slow down. The brown-robed people poke their heads out of windows in the building and run around the top. Suddenly the building veers toward a rock. It’s as tall as where Helmet is right now.

_ Watch out! _ he shouts, just in time as Helmet jumps up and hides from the rock. His pod veers safely around it, and he blinks through the dust, trying to see the shiny silver helmet again. He spots it soon; Helmet is climbing up the side of the building. The brown-robed people are being mean now, throwing things at Helmet as he climbs. He reaches out his hand, trying to catch them and throw them back, but they are too fast and too far away. He can’t reach; he can only watch.

Helmet keeps climbing, even when more things hit him. He makes rope come out of his hands and he keeps going up. Even if he’s too far away to catch anything, he can still sense that Helmet is very mad.

Helmet catches one of the mean people and throws it out of the building. The pod whizzes over the still brown robes too fast to see. He doesn’t bother to see if it is Gone; watching Helmet is more exciting. He is almost to the top!

The mean people start hitting something really big, and it falls! He gasps and squeaks a warning, but it misses Helmet and hits the ground right before the pod flies over it. Helmet doesn’t fall, though, and he tosses another mean person to the ground before reaching the top.

At the top there’s more pretty sparkles, blue and white this time. But this time they’re all over Helmet. Helmet falls down!

_ Helmet!  _ he yells, but Helmet doesn’t hear him and doesn’t catch the side of the building. He falls all the way down, and lands on the rock with a hard noise as the big building rumbles away. Blue sparkles dance all over Helmet, but he doesn’t like the sparkles anymore.

The pod floats slowly over and stops near Helmet. He senses Helmet isn’t mad anymore, just some strange fuzzy-sleepy feeling. Helmet won’t move, not even when the pod stops. His ears droop down as he stares. Is Helmet Gone? He doesn’t want Helmet to be Gone… 

The big building goes farther away, farther. Why was Helmet mad at the big building? He remembered the other building, shiny silver like Helmet’s helmet. Was that his building? Was he mad the mean people tried to take his building?

_ Helmet? _ he asks, but Helmet doesn’t answer. There’s still only the strange fuzzy-sleepy feeling, no mad feelings. Maybe he should get out? But Helmet didn’t like that and he wasn’t supposed to. He watches the building instead, until it goes all the way away and he can’t see it anymore.

Suddenly, Helmet groans and sits up. His ears perk up. Helmet is awake! The fuzzy-sleepy feeling is gone, and so are most of the mad feelings too. Helmet stares after where the building went, and he senses feelings he doesn’t understand. Helmet looks at him, then at the tracks, then finally gets up. Helmet is tired, but he starts walking, and the pod trails behind.

They follow the big building’s tracks back to the silver building. He looks around; there are pieces on the ground everywhere. If Yarull were here, the Big Boss would be yelling at him to clean this shit up. There is no Big Boss, though, and Helmet does not pick the shit up.

Helmet presses a button on his gauntlet and pod stays as he goes in the building. He whines, but remembers how Yarull would be mad and pull his ears for that and stops. He doesn’t want Helmet to pull his ears, and Helmet is still mad.

He watches Helmet move through the building; there are big pieces missing from the wall and he can follow him easily. He keeps reaching out, sensing feelings; Helmet is mad as he walks through the building, and mad when it makes a growling noise and black smoke comes out of the two big cylinders on it. But then the feelings change. Helmet is sad again.

He doesn’t like Helmet being sad. He knows he’s not supposed to, but he climbs out of the pod. He wants to find Helmet. He likes seeing him, and he doesn’t want him to be sad. Carefully, he makes his way up the silver building’s ramp. He can sense that Helmet is nearby.

He makes it up, and calls for Helmet when he sees him sitting. Helmet turns to look at him.  _ Sad? _ he asks, but Helmet doesn’t answer. He only sighs.

After a moment Helmet stands and picks him up. He squeals with the movement; this is a fun game! But it ends abruptly when Helmet puts him in the pod. He whines to be picked back up again, but Helmet only starts walking. Once again, the pod follows.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Baby Yoda having the time of his life watching his new dad murder Jawas is literally one of my favorite parts of the show and I hope I've done it justice.
> 
> Next time: Meeting someone new and finally getting dinner.


	3. The Frog

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Finally getting dinner, and then off on another adventure.

They don’t follow the big building’s tracks this time. They walk over the red dirt and sand a different way as the sun goes down. Helmet’s helmet gets less shiny, and the sky changes colors. He looks at the tall rocks and the mixing colors in the sky, but mostly he watches Helmet.

Helmet isn’t mad or sad but somewhere in between, some feeling he doesn’t really understand, though he does understand that Helmet is tired and hurting. He tries to ask where they’re going, or at least for some attention, but Helmet doesn’t do more than look at him briefly. They keep going until the sun hides behind the rocks and dark clouds start to gather.

Finally, they approach some buildings. These are different, low to the ground, not shiny and silver or big and brown. They have no wheels, though a wheel on top of a pole spins slowly in the wind. Someone is standing on another pole next to the wheel-pole, and Helmet walks up to the base of the person’s pole. “I thought you were dead,” said the person. He turns to look at them.

Helmet looks up. “The others are the only ones dead.” He sighs. “I’ve run into a… complication.”

The person climbs down. He is shorter than Helmet, with wispy white hair sticking out from under his goggles. “I will get water,” said Goggles.

Helmet sighs again. “That’s not what I -”

“I have spoken.”

Helmet follows Goggles over to a well. There had been a well like it back where he’d been with Yarull, though he’d never been allowed outside to see it up close. He sits up to watch Goggles lower the bucket, then sees movement - a big brownish creature with a big mouth and big teeth, chewing on something. He stands up in the pod to see and coos at it. Maybe it will talk to him?

Helmet turns around and he quickly sits back down. Helmet does not want him out of the pod, and he does not want Helmet to pull his ears.

He stands back up to see as Goggles pulls the bucket back out of the well and dips a cup into the bucket. He hears the water splash and he licks his lips, suddenly thirsty, as Goggles hands the cup to Helmet. Helmet looks at it, then walks over to the pod.

He quickly sits back down again, ears instinctively flattening. But Helmet doesn’t pull his ears or smack his head; instead, he holds out the cup. After a moment he leans forward, and Helmet tips the cup up. Cool water splashes into his mouth and he gulps it until it is gone. His stomach growls angrily.

“I will bring you more, and give you privacy to drink,” said Goggles, holding out his hand for the cup.

“Soon. Thank you.” Helmet gives him the cup, then turns back to the pod. He looks at Helmet curiously, and Helmet looks back. After a moment, Helmet steps forward and picks him up. He tries to reach for the shiny helmet but Helmet merely sets him down on the ground.

Helmet follows Goggles as he brings the refilled bucket to a trough by the big creature, dumping the water into the trough. He follows Helmet, and stops to watch as Helmet starts to poke and play with his gauntlet. Blue sparks dance around it, and he frowns, remembering the mean people. But Helmet doesn’t feel sleepy-fuzzy, so maybe these sparks are okay?

He hears a chirp and looks around for the source. He hears it again, and turns, and sees a frog! Food! But this isn’t still or in pieces like the ones Yarull would give him. This one is moving and hopping!

He starts to follow, then sees another! He tries to reach it, but it hops away faster than he can move. They keep chirping, and he chirps back.  _ Come here! _

“This is what was causing all the fuss?” He hears Goggles’ voice, and when he looks up Goggles is staring at him.

“I think it’s a child.” He looks back over at Helmet, who still has blue sparks dancing on his arm. They are sort of pretty, but he still doesn’t like them.

Helmet isn’t fuzzy-sleepy, though, and he and Goggles are busy talking and not looking at him anymore, so he goes back to the frogs. They’re much faster and more exciting than the ones that don’t move.  _ Come here! _ he says. The frogs don’t listen. He follows one closer, closer, and finally jumps on it and catches it.  _ Got you! _

He holds it tight as he tries to lift it. It almost wriggles out of his grasp, but he refuses to lose his prize. His stomach growls loudly as he digs his claws in and shoves it in his mouth.

“Hey!” says Helmet sharply, and he looks over to find Helmet watching him again. “Spit that out!”

He gulps down the frog. Helmet hadn’t given him any food, and he was hungry. The frog slides down, tasting better than any of the dead ones Yarull had ever given him, and fills his empty belly. He giggles. He likes this food!

He burps, and giggles at that sound too. Helmet shakes his head, but his mad feelings go away a little more.

-

Helmet makes him go back in the pod soon afterward. He whines - he wants to chase the frogs! - but Helmet makes a soft shush noise and gently pats his head before quickly withdrawing his hand. The pod follows Helmet as he goes inside one of the buildings. Goggles brings him a cup of water and a plate of food. “I will ready the blurrg,” he says.

“I can help,” says Helmet.

“I will have no problem.” Goggles sets down the cup and plate and leaves.

He sits up and is considering climbing out of the pod - Helmet doesn’t want him to sometimes, but Helmet did just let him get out, so maybe it’s okay here? - when Helmet walks over. He stands up and reaches for Helmet.  _ Out? _

“Stay,” says Helmet. Helmet sits him down, and after a moment pulls his blanket over him. He catches one of Helmet’s fingers. Helmet wiggles it a little, and he squeals with excitement for the finger game. But then Helmet quickly takes away the finger, and presses the button to close his pod, and he’s alone in the dark.

He can hear Helmet moving around. Something metal clinks, and he can faintly hear sounds of eating. He’s confused. It’s quiet time again, but Helmet never says it’s quiet time. And he got his treat before quiet time. Yarull never did that. But Yarull never let him go outside, or left the pod open outside, or let him climb out or chase live frogs or any of the other fun things Helmet lets him do. Yarull is Gone, though, so maybe his rules don’t matter anymore.

He pulls on his blanket. The soft fabric is familiar. At least he has that.

-

The pod opens, and he blinks, jolted out of his nap. He’s outside again, and sits up to see Goggles patting the big creature, which is now pulling a sleigh. Light flashes in the sky, and he stands up to try and see it better.

Helmet walks by, and the pod trails after as he comes to stand by Goggles. “I will go, if you do not mind the rain. But the Jawas will make camp during the storm, and we can still catch them tomorrow.”

“I need my parts,” says Helmet. Mad feelings flare up again.

“Then I will take you.” Goggles points to a crate on the otherwise empty sleigh. “I hope this is comfortable. We will be traveling for some time, especially if we brave the storm.”

“This is fine. Thank you.”

Light flashes in the sky again. Helmet climbs onto the sleigh and pulls the pod over close when it follows him. He sets it down behind him as Goggles climbs onto the big creature. Helmet pulls off his stick-blaster, setting it in his lap. Helmet's long cloak flutters against the pod as the wind blows, and he plucks at it. The fabric feels similar to his blanket.

The sleigh jerks and he falls back. When he sticks his head out again, he sees the land moving, and when he peers around the crate Helmet is sitting on, he sees the big creature slowly walking forward. He wonders where they’re going. Maybe to find more frogs? Or back to Helmet’s silver building?

“Hey. You stay.” Helmet gently pushes him back into the pod.  _ Stay. _ That must mean he has to stay in the pod, no getting out even though it’s not closed. He wonders what Helmet would do if he did get out. Helmet hasn’t ever pulled his ears like Yarull did. He stands up again.

“Stay,” Helmet repeats. Helmet stares at him until he sits, then turns back around.

He’s distracted by light flashing in the sky again, but this time there is a big boom! It hurts his ears and he yelps and hides in the pod. After a moment, it is quiet again, and he peeks out. Water splashes right into his eyes, and he blinks.

More water comes, then more, then more. He hears clinking and looks up to see it’s falling on Helmet too, drops racing down the silver helmet. He opens his mouth and water falls in. He licks his lips and swallows.

There’s another huge boom and he screeches in surprise. It’s too scary and loud! He hides in the pod again, pulling at his blanket. It doesn’t feel quite the same and when he looks, he’s pulling on Helmet’s cloak instead.

He looks up and Helmet is looking at him. Helmet sighs, then tosses the cloak over the pod. Now he’s hidden from the booms and the water. All he can see is the cloak, and brown cloth and armor on Helmet’s back.

He curls up in his pod, yawning. There’s nothing interesting to see, and he doesn’t like what’s outside right now anyway. Helmet told him to stay, so he stays.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for all the kind comments and responses! I'm glad people are enjoying the fic.
> 
> Next time: Encountering the mean people and their big building again, and a memory being jogged.


	4. The Memory

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They return to the big building, and a half-forgotten memory helps him figure out who his new caretaker really is.

Sunlight is filtering through Helmet’s cloak when he wakes up. He wants to see again, so he pulls it away from the pod. When he looks up, Helmet is staring at him. Sunlight makes the silver helmet shine.  _ Hi! _ he tells Helmet.

Helmet has something round in his hand and holds it out. When he leans forward, Helmet tips the round thing forward and water splashes onto his face. He sputters, but he’s thirsty and he gulps at it eagerly. Helmet lets him drink it all before putting the round thing away. Water is still dripping on his face, so when Helmet turns around he wipes himself clean on Helmet’s cloak.

There’s no more rain and no more flashing light in the sky or loud booms, only the shining sun. He stands up to see the brown rocks and looks back to see tracks in the dirt from the sleigh and the big creature Goggles is riding. He spots a lizard darting through a shadow and remembers the frogs. He bets the lizard would be fun too. He climbs out of the pod to get a better look. The movement of the sleigh makes it hard to walk.

“Hey!” He hears Helmet and looks over to see Helmet watching him. “I said you stay.”

But he doesn’t want to stay in the pod. There’s too much to see! He whines at Helmet.

Helmet sighs and reaches over, scooping him up, and sets him next to the crate Helmet is sitting on. “Stay by me.”

_ No pod? _ he asks. Helmet only adjusts the stick-blaster in his lap.

No pod! He can stay out! He’s so excited he’s willing to stay next to Helmet if that’s the rule he has to follow. He sees another lizard and points to it excitedly.  _ Look, Helmet! Yummy! _

“The Jawas are ahead,” says Goggles. “This is one of their trade sites.”

“They better not have sold my parts,” says Helmet. Helmet feels mad again. He pats Helmet’s boot, trying to get him to look at the lizard. Maybe Helmet will feel better if he eats. Helmet ignores him and the lizard, though.

He looks ahead, past Goggles and the big creature, and sees the big brown building ahead through the rocks. They are going to see the mean people again? He looks up at Helmet. He guesses Helmet can see the mean people’s building too, because his mad feelings start growing and his hands tighten on his stick-blaster.

They get closer, and Goggles calls out to the mean people. They start shouting and scurrying around, and they pull out blasters. They are mad too, like Helmet is. He doesn’t want to be out anymore! He ducks behind Helmet’s cloak.

“They really don’t like you for some reason,” says Goggles.

“Well, I did disintegrate a few of them,” says Helmet.

He’s too curious, and pokes his head out from behind Helmet’s cloak. There are more mean people in the big building, looking at them out of windows. He squints, trying to see if any have blue sparkles. He is closer now. If any of them are mean to Helmet, he might be able to reach out and lift them like the rocks Yarull gave him.

“You need to drop your rifle,” Goggles says to Helmet.

“I’m a Mandalorian. Weapons are part of my religion,” returns Helmet. He looks up, and Helmet holds his stick-blaster - his rifle? - tighter, pointing it at the mean people. He scoots out from behind Helmet’s cloak. He knows Helmet will use his rifle to stop anyone who is mean to them.

“Then you are not getting your parts back,” says Goggles.

Helmet sighs. He really does that a lot. “Fine,” says Helmet, and he sets down the rifle on the sleigh before getting up.

One of the mean people shouts, and Goggles points at Helmet. “And the blaster.”

Helmet is mad. Goggles is starting to get… not mad, not yet, but something else that could end up being mad. He walks away, though, talking to the mean people. Helmet takes out his blaster and puts it on the sleigh too, and when Goggles motions for him to join them, walks over to Goggles and the mean people.

He watches Helmet and Goggles and the mean people. If he sees any blue sparks, he will be ready. He looks over at the rifle. It makes gold sparkles, and makes people Gone. But it’s too big, and he doesn’t have any of the cylinders that Helmet puts in it anyway.

Helmet and Goggles and one of the mean people sit down and start to talk. Helmet is still mad, and when all the mean people laugh at him he gets  _ very _ mad. So mad he shoots fire out of his hand! All the mean people are scared and start shrieking until Helmet turns the fire off.

He’s distracted when two of the mean people walk up to him. He peers curiously at them; their orange-red eyes stare curiously back. He can’t see their faces in the black shadows of their hood, only their bright eyes. They chatter at him in words he can’t understand, but they don’t touch him, and they don’t have blue sparks, so he merely coos back. _ Hello? _

“Get away from it!” yells Helmet suddenly, mad feelings hot like fire, and the two people run away.

_ Get away from it!  _ The words stir something in the back of his mind. He’s heard them before, he knows those words…

_ Get away from him! _ says a half-remembered voice, someone else who’d once watched him, someone else who hadn’t pulled his ears or hit him, someone else who gave him water and food and covered him in a warm blanket. Someone who was called… Dad?

Is that what Helmet is? Is Helmet a Dad?

Helmet watches him and keeps him safe from mean people. Helmet had made Droid Gone when Droid pointed a blaster at him. Helmet yelled at the mean people who got too close, but never yells at him. Helmet is someone who is not mean, and now Helmet is the one who watches him, just like that other person he can’t quite remember from long ago, before Yarull. Helmet must be his Dad now.

He likes this Dad much better than Yarull.

He hears a lot of yelling, and sees all the mean people chanting something at Dad and Goggles. He doesn’t understand, but Dad and Goggles stand up. All the mean people start running into their big building, which makes a rumbling sound. Is it leaving again? Is Dad going to shoot it with his rifle?

At first he thinks he’s right, because Dad comes over and picks up his rifle and blaster. But Dad puts them away and then picks him up instead.

_ Dad! _ he says, reaching for the shiny helmet, but Dad puts him back in the pod. Dad presses a button on his gauntlet and the pod rises up in the air. Goggles gets his big creature, and together they all go over to where the building is opening a giant door, like a huge mouth opening wide to eat them. The mean people motion for them to come in, and they all walk inside.

Dad is  _ definitely _ more fun than Yarull.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Maybe I leaned a little hard on the fourth wall here, but come on, we all know what Din really is and Baby Yoda is smart enough to figure it out too. Now we just need Din to get with the program.
> 
> Next time: A fun ride, and a big scary monster!


	5. The Monster

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Baby and Dad face off against a big scary monster!

Goggles and his big creature stay down by the door, but the mean people let him and Dad walk up and up through lots of tunnels and twists and turns until they reach a room with lots of levers and buttons and other exciting things. Outside the window he can see they’re high up - way high up! - and going over the brown dirt much faster than when he and Dad were walking, or even when Goggles let them ride his sleigh.

The mean people let him and Dad stay by the front so they can look out the window. The room is too small for someone as tall as Dad; his helmet keeps banging the ceiling every time there’s a bump. Dad is mad but he doesn’t mind - the bumps make his pod shake and it’s fun! The mean people keep shouting the same word over and over again. He tries to repeat it but can’t quite make the sound.

The mean people are laughing and happy as they travel, and he giggles too, though Dad only sighs. They pass through huge red-brown rocks, going over dirt paths, first up and then down. He laughs with the movement. He loves the swooping feeling in his belly.

It’s too soon when Dad gets up - or at least the best he can under the ceiling - and leads him away from the window room. He whines, but only a little, because the tunnels and twists and turns are still plenty interesting. He sees more mean people and whirring machinery and odd-looking droids in cracks between the walls, but Dad doesn’t stop until they rejoin Goggles, who is petting his big creature. It makes rumbling noises, and Goggles pats its head and shushes it.

“I will watch the child, if you wish it,” says Goggles.

“No,” says Dad. “I need to keep him with me.”

He’s glad he doesn’t have to stay with Goggles. The big building is fun but wherever Dad goes there’s new fun stuff, and he wants more!

The building grumbles to a stop and the big door lowers. Goggles and the mean people watch as Dad walks out, and his pod trails along after.

They walk away from the building, down a passage too small to allow the big building to pass. The brown rocks are much taller than Dad, and Dad’s boots squelch-squelch in the brown mud. Finally they come to the end of the path, a wide muddy clearing surrounded by tall rocks. One of the rocks has a hole in it. Dad walks towards the hole, and he ducks back into his pod. The hole is dark and looks scary. He’s not sure he wants to go in.

Dad stops, looking around. The sun glints off his silver helmet. He presses a button on his gauntlet before checking it and pulling out his blaster. Dad walks into the hole, but the pod stays. He barely hears the squelch of boots in the mud as Dad disappears into the dark hole.

He doesn’t like this. The hole is scary, not fun. He wants Dad to come back. Yarull used to leave him alone, but Dad hasn’t been leaving him by himself. Even when the pod was closed he could still sense Dad nearby. He could get out and go into the cave. The thought makes him clutch his blanket. No, the cave is too scary.  _ Dad? _ he squeaks out, hoping the sound will call Dad back, but there is no answer.

Suddenly there is the sound of a blaster. It sounds again and again, and red light flashes in the cave. There is a huge roar, and Dad comes flying out! Dad yells as he lands in the mud, and one of his metal pieces sparks and starts to fall off.

He looks past Dad and sees a huge monster with a big horn coming out of the cave. He tries to hide in his pod. The monster is big and scary and  _ mad. _ He doesn’t like it at all.

Dad grabs his rifle, and his ears perk back up. Of course! Dad will make the monster disappear-Gone! No more monster, just pretty sparkles!

But when Dad points it, no noise and no sparkles, only a click. Dad tries again, but he’s too slow, and the monster runs right at him and knocks him into the air. It  _ hurts _ \- he can sense it - and now Dad has no rifle anymore.

He looks up and now the monster is looking at him. The monster runs straight towards him! His pod only moves just in time and the monster crashes into a rock instead. He looks over and sees Dad watching; Dad kept him safe like he had from Droid and the people with sticks. But then the monster runs at Dad again!

Dad makes fire come out of his hand, but the monster smashes him with its horn, hard. He can feel it hurt and shouts -  _ Dad! _ \- but Dad makes fire come out again, and the monster backs away. Dad makes rope come out of his hand this time, and it pokes the monster, but then the monster runs and drags Dad along behind it. Dad tries to get up but he can’t; he rolls in the mud and another metal piece falls off him. The monster throws him again.

_ Dad! _ he cries. Dad is hurt, and is starting to feel fuzzy-sleepy too. Even the metal pieces still on him are all about to fall off and are sparking blue. Dad tries to stand, but he can’t, only making it to his knees. He wobbles and wobbles and won't stop. He  _ can't _ stop.

The monster roars and charges again. Dad doesn’t have his rifle or blaster or fire, only a little knife that shakes when he holds it out. Dad is too fuzzy-sleepy. Dad is hurting. And he knows, he  _ knows _ if Dad is hit again, he will be hurt bad, or even Gone. He doesn’t want Dad to be Gone! He wants the monster to  _ stop! _

He reaches out his hand.  _ Stop! _ he tells the monster.

_ Stop! _

_ STOP! _

Everything goes black.

-

He has good dreams. A warm blanket wrapped around him. Pretty gold sparkles dancing across silver metal. Gentle green hands holding him, arms cradling him close to their heart.

When he opens his eyes, it’s dark but there are lights everywhere. Little tiny silver-white dots out the window, little blinking lights red and white and blue outside his pod. It’s almost familiar, like he’s been somewhere similar before, but he’s still too sleepy to place it.

He senses a familiar presence and when he looks ahead, Dad is sitting in a chair. He can see the shiny silver helmet, the blinking lights reflecting on it and making it even prettier than before. He can feel that Dad is still hurting a little, but he’s much better. The monster didn’t get him.

_ Hi, Dad, _ he says.

Dad turns and looks at him, and even though he can’t see Dad’s face, he knows that Dad is smiling.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that's a wrap on Episode 2! Again, thank you so much for all the kind comments and feedback! It warms my heart.
> 
> I hope you've enjoyed all the cuteness of Episode 2, because we continue on to Episode 3: The Sin, where my singular goal will be to hurt you. :) Hope to see you there!


End file.
